Now that the NBA and NBPA have a "tentative agreement" on a new CBA, it is time for both sides to talk about how respectful the negotiations were. Already, Michael Jordan is emerging as a hero -- the Charlotte Hornets owner was described as instrumental to the process in a piece by NBA.com's Steve Aschburner, wherein James Jones, Chris Paul, Glen Taylor, Kyle Korver, Dan Gilbert, Joe Lacob and Wes Edens are all quoted praising him.
Union president Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers said: "I think he speaks from a great place, because he's been on both sides of the table as a player and as an owner. It's always good conversation, good to hear him give his opinion on things. Just like with anything, you disagree on some things, agree on some."
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"The imagery of negotiations between players and owners," Jones said, "is where you envision players on one side, owners on the other, both jockeying for position, both not wanting to flinch, both wanting to put their strongest face forward. Tone and rhetoric is a huge part of that. Mike is able to defuse that. He understands the passion that players have. He understands that language and he's able to digest it and relay it to the owners. And he's also able to relay the owners' sentiments and viewpoints.
"That makes a very trying and taxing situation a lot more manageable and bearable."
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Atlanta Hawks wing Kyle Korver, a member of the union's committee, said of Jordan: "He's helped create and generate conversations that in previous [negotiations] were really hard to come by. There was, at times, a lot of frustration, a lot of anger, on both sides, and everybody trying to hold onto what is ours. One of the reasons why this negotiation has gone so much better is because there has been so much more communication. And to be able to do that you've got to have people who know both sides. And Michael's been really involved, he's really added to the process."
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"He is as up to speed on the details as anybody," Gilbert told NBA.com. "He knows what's going on, he studies it, he's insightful, he's smart. ... Let's just say if Michael Jordan jumped into somebody else's body - where it was him but it wasn't him - I'd respect him as a very astute businessman. You'd never know, you'd just think this guy is a 30-year business veteran who understands things."
Added Golden State owner Joe Lacob: "When there is sort of a heated exchange or issue, he can speak for what it was like as a player at some point in the past."
Anonymous sources were also quoted as saying that Jordan would approach players after sessions to casually discuss where both sides were coming from, and that commissioner Adam Silver would make a point of asking Jordan what he thought about issues because he knew players perked up when he spoke.
You could say of course Jordan helped resolve this stuff, he's the greatest player of all-time and everybody respects him. Back 2011 during the lockout, though, he wasn't exactly seen as part of the solution to the problem. During those contentious talks, Jordan famously led a group of hard-line owners who wanted the players to receive no more than 47 percent of basketball-related income. He took a healthy amount of criticism from players at the time, and it sounds like he handled himself much differently this time.
